We’ve already had two other posts from the 1948 booklet Ironing Can Be Easy; one on how to sprinkle clothes and iron efficiently and one on how to iron a dress shirt. This post is the one you’ll bookmark. It’s stain removal tips. Vintage laundry stain removal tips are gold to anyone who fancies themselves a stain removing wizard. The more tools you have in your arsenal, the more powerful a wizard you are.
Ironing Can Be Easy was published by the Proctor Electric Co. of Philadelphia, PA, and was written based on methods developed at the New York State College of Home Economics at Cornell University and also by the Home Economics Staff of Washington State College. Housekeeping is both an art and a science, so we appreciate the research that went into preparing this booklet.
Stain removal tips are given for white linens, washable colored or fine fabrics and non-washable fabrics. That level of detail is not always found in vintage resources.
Let’s clarify some of the cleaning materials that are suggested, some of which are no longer available:
- Acetic acid is, per the Virginia Department of Health, “also known as ethanoic acid, ethylic acid, vinegar acid, and methane carboxylic acid. Acetic acid is a byproduct of fermentation, and gives vinegar its characteristic odor. Vinegar is about 4-6% acetic acid in water.” More concentrated amounts will burn your skin. Yuck.
- Javelle water was used as a bleach and disinfectant for laundry. It was made with water and sodium hypochlorite or potassium hypochorite. It’s still used to bleach concrete.
- Pepsin is an proteolytic enzyme that is used to break down protein based stains at low temperatures. It is also one of the main digestive enzymes in humans and animals. It’s no longer used in laundry detergents, but other enzymes including proteases, amylases and and lipases are.
- Carbon tetrachloride used to be used in household cleaning, dry cleaning, spot removing and degreasing, but since it’s highly toxic, can damage kidneys and the liver and, if that wasn’t enough, also depletes the ozone, it’s banned for all those uses.
- Banana oil is also known as amyl acetate is used as a stain removal, particularly on delicate fabrics like silks and wool. The name “banana oil” comes from it smelling like bananas. It is helpful in removing glue, paint and paint, but it will damage plastic.
Some thoughts on the cleaning processes:
- Although carbon paper is not in common use anymore, carbons stains happen. It turns out handwarmers have activated carbon and iron powder, so if you have the misfortune of having one tear, the method for removing carbon paper is applies.
- You’re also unlikely to be removing any mecurochrome stains since it was banned from home use in 1998 because of potential toxicity from the mercury content, but those of a certain age will remember having their cuts and scrapes painted with this bright orange antiseptic.
- I can hardly wait to completely stink up some clothing and try removing the perspiration by holding it over an open bottle of ammonia.
The next time you find yourself facing a tough stain that doesn’t yield to conventional weapons like spray stain removers and Oxy-clean, perhaps there’s something on this list that might be magic you need.
